Paul McGrath (race walker)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Paul McGrath Benito |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born | 7 March 2002 |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Spain |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Race Walking |
Paul McGrath Benito[a] (born 7 March 2002) is a Spanish race walker. He was a silver medalist at the 2024 European Athletics Championships. He competed at the 2024 Olympic Games.[1]
Career
[edit]He won the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia in the 10,000m race walk.[2] He finished third at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi in the 10,000m race walk.[3]
He finished third at the 20 km race walk on 13 February 2022 at the senior Spanish Championships in Pamplona.[4]
He won gold at the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland, in the 20,000m race walk in a personal best of 1:21:03.[5][6]
In April 2024, he was a silver medalist in the 20km race at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya, Turkey.[7] That month, he won the Spanish national title in the 20 km race walk, setting a personal best time of 1:17:55 in Zaragoza. It placed him third on the Spanish all-time list.[8]
He was a silver medalist at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome in June 2024.[9] He was officially selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics in July 2024.[10] Although he featured towards the front of the race at the start of the men's 20km race in Paris, he eventually finished in seventeenth overall in a time of 1:20.32.[11] [12]
He won his first major senior title in the men’s 20km race walk at the 2025 European Race Walking Team Championships in Podebrady, Czechia on 18 May 2025, winning the 20km race walk title in a championship record of 1:18:05 and also led Spain to the team title.[13]
Personal life
[edit]McGrath was born and raised in Barcelona. He has a Spanish mother, a Scottish father, and Irish grandparents.[14] His father, James, is from Glasgow, and a keen football fan, as a consequence McGrath is a supporter of Scottish Premiership football club Celtic and has been a season ticket holder.[15]
Notes
[edit]- ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is McGrath and the second or maternal family name is Benito.
References
[edit]- ^ "Paul McGrath". World Athletics. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "European Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Amit Khatri wins silver in 10000m race walk at World Athletics U20 meet". Olympics.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Spain's aim for race walk legacy continues in Muscat". World Athletics. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Foster, Anthony (July 12, 2023). "Thrilling Start to European U23 Championships with Stey and McGrath Dominating 20km Race Walk". Track Alerts. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Broadbent, Chris (12 July 2023). "Stey and McGrath split the honours in the 20km race walk in Espoo 2023". Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Karlstrom reigns again, taking 20km title in Antalya". World Athletics. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "Senior breakthrough beckons for Spain's McGrath in his beloved Rome". European Athletics. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Williams, George (8 June 2024). "Spaniard Paul McGrath, European silver in the 20 km walk in Rome". Sportsfinding. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Spain's list for athletics at the Paris Olympics". sport.es. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "20 KILOMETRES RACE WALK MEN". World Athletics. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "20km race walk champion Pintado takes first athletics gold of Paris 2024 Olympic Games". World Athletics. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ "McGrath sets championship record of 1:18:05 to win 20km race walk gold in Podebrady". European Athletics. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ Henderson, Jason (8 June 2024). "Rising race walks star Paul McGrath on his Spanish-Scottish heritage". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ McGinley, John (9 March 2024). "Paris 2024 Olympic athlete reveals his surprising love for Celtic". 67hailhail.com. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
External links
[edit]- Paul McGrath at World Athletics
- Paul McGrath at RFEA (in Spanish)
- Paul McGrath at Olympics.com
- Paul McGrath at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
- Paul McGrath – COE – Paris 2024 (in Spanish)
European Athletics U23 Championships champions in men's 20 kilometres race walk | |
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